A/N: I just wanted to reassure my readers that Hook, Neal, and Robin Hood will most definitely NOT be in this story. The role of Inigo Montoya will be played by Jack (Jacqueline) from Jack and the Beanstalk.

The three headed to the moors with their prize where a sailboat waited, anchored to the docks.

Getting on the boat, Tiny laid Regina gently in a corner before asking Snow, "Snow, why did you put that banner on her horse?"

Snow groaned, "I hired you to start a war, not to think. This way, when the princess shows up dead off the coast, Prince Leopold will blame the land of Oz and not us."

"You never said anything about killing her. I just don't think it's right. She's an innocent," Tiny argued, his stomach sinking as he looked upon the young beauty he was unknowingly leading to her demise.

"War has many casualties; many of whom are innocent. If you need to ease your conscience, just remember that I engineered this entire operation, and you will be paid well for your trouble," Snow responded bitterly. Just who did this giant think he was anyway to argue with her?

"I agree with Tiny," Jack piped up. She didn't care much what happened to the unconscious girl, but she didn't like seeing her friend belittled either.

"This is what I get for hiring a drunk who can't hold her liquor and a habitually unemployed giant with a conscience. Do you want me to send you back home, penniless?" Snow got in both of their faces. Her fierce eyes and regal demeanor were frightening enough, let alone the smoke coming out of her ears.

Jack and Tiny looked down, muttering apologies, and set about getting the boat ready to sail as the sun was getting close to setting. They bound the princess's wrists because it was a matter of time before she awoke, and they feared repercussions from Snow if the princess escaped. Night fell, and everything appeared to be going as planned for the group of miscreants.

Something in Jack's gut said they had gotten away too easily, and she kept glancing back toward shore. It was dark, but she thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Jack inquired, "Are you sure no one is following us?"

"No one could have followed us. It's inconceivable," Snow scoffed. She noted a change in the princess's breathing and decided to burst her bubble, "We know you're awake, princess, so you may as well stop pretending."

Regina reluctantly opened her eyes, "Where am I?"

"Sailing to the Cliffs of Insanity," Tiny answered helpfully. Nothing in his contract said he couldn't answer a few of the princess's questions, and well, even though it was a paying job, he still felt bad about what they were doing to her.

Regina nearly laughed at the irony. She had lost her sanity the day she lost her hope; she was marrying a prince for crying out loud instead of her true love. Maybe if she intentionally angered these people, they would put her out of her misery. She said aloud, "You do realize that Prince Leopold will find you and have you hanged for this."

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about us," Snow condescended. "He's not even going to bother to come looking for you when he can bed any trollop his heart desires."

"Look there. It's a boat with a black sail. I'm sure of it," Jack pointed behind them, her other hand ready to draw her sword at a moment's notice.

"Are you sure you haven't had anything to drink tonight?" Snow asked, but went over to look anyway. To her surprise, Jack was right about there being a boat, however, the boat was too small to belong to the prince. She said as much, "Probably a fisherman. It can't be for us."

Being the only one with eyes not on the looming boat, Tiny pointed out, "Um, guys? The princess is getting away."

At that moment, Snow and Jack heard a splash. It seemed the young princess had dived into the water while they were preoccupied with arguing. The troublemaker was now treading water while working to remove the bonds on her wrists. Clearly, she hadn't thought through her escape plan, which gave them precious time to catch her. Snow ordered, "Go after her! What are you waiting for?"

Jack had spent much of her life learning how to use a sword and drink huge amounts of ale without falling over. She'd had no need to learn to swim-until now. She responded honestly, "I don't swim."

Tiny also shook his head, "Princess, come back. There's mermaids in the sea."

"Yes. If you come back now, there will be no repercussions, and you won't get such a nice deal from the mermaids. They'll eat a young girl like you for breakfast," Snow boasted more confidence than she had currently, but she wasn't about to show her fear to hired hands and a girl who had apparently never left home before by the way the color drained from her skin at the mention of mermaids.

At that moment, Regina saw a mermaid surfacing near her. She'd heard tales of these vicious creatures, but had never seen one up close. She froze in horror as its tail came up and slapped her across the face. It swam away briefly before returning and colliding with her legs. The waves and the current were pushing her closer to the sailboat she had just escaped.

Reaching the mysterious boat with the black sail was quickly becoming a fantasy. On the mermaid's third pass, she was now within reach of the sailboat & Tiny grabbed her in his arms and whisked her out of its grasp. She clutched onto him out of pure instinct, knowing intellectually that she was simply trading one death for another, and really, what did she have to live for? The only person who cared if she lived or died was her father, and even he was allowing her mother to trade her like a piece of meat for a small fortune. Everyone wanted to use her-her mother, the prince, even these criminals. She made the decision right then and there that she wouldn't let anyone exploit her again. She would control her own destiny.

Snow smirked victoriously at the princess, "I trust there will be no further incidents."

Regina nodded absently as she allowed her hands to be bound once more. She would try again once they reached shore.